Potter's Fourteen
by breather89
Summary: When Johnny goes to a science club and starts acting strangely, Tee tries to work out what happened to him. But his teacher, Mr Potter, is an unstable, crazy man with plans for his pupils. And for Tee, if she keeps interfering...
1. Chapter 1

Johnny was annoyed. He didn't know what was going on, but he'd been put down for the science club in town. Mike had said it was a good opportunity.

"You said you wanted to spend time away from everyone, so I signed you up for the only juvenile club I could find that wasn't that expensive. You'll enjoy it."

But Johnny was miserable. Sitting at one of the thick, wooden tables, he was next to a boy that was flicking through a small handbook.

Johnny saw everyone's names had been set out at their chairs. As if they were in Reception class.

Andy Barkley and Bennie Watkins were in the front row, on the other side of the room. In front of Johnny sat Christopher Cartwright and Denny Baxter, two Canadian boys. Edward Durbin and Frederick Parsons were sat at the table behind Johnny, both bored and flicking rubber bands. Georgie Carlisle and Howie Jacobs were almost asleep at their desks, heads lying on top.

Johnny looked at the strange, nerdy boy sat by him. His nameplate read _Ike Benson_. Johnny remembered that the teacher had called him quite a few names and that he wasn't really sure if Ike was short for Isaac or Icarus. Though Johnny wouldn't have been surprised that he'd chosen a nickname.

There were three girls sitting together in the second row. Two seemed about his age, one looked about Harry's age. Their names were Julia Hughes, Kate McCormick and Lara Fisher. They seemed to have the same, bland expression as most of the boys here.

The teacher, Mr Potter, was a tall, mean-looking man with a long, pointed nose and small, black shiny eyes. He towered over the boys, none of whom were small for their age. He also had slicked-back brown hair and wore a brown jacket, buttoned right up to the top, with grey flannel trousers and shoes as shiny as his eyes.

"Good morning," he said to himself rather than to the class, "today we will be learning about how to make an egg glow in the dark. Johnny, we are not part of the national curriculum, so we will be doing different types of experiments."

Johnny did not enjoy the sound of this. Lots of strange words and complicated diagrams, the sort of thing Gus was into. Maybe he could ask him for help.

But Johnny soon found he wasn't the only one who didn't enjoy himself.

The girls talked to themselves. Christopher and Denny were almost asleep. Andy and Bennie were being very sloppy.

Mr Potter sighed and leaned back against his desk. "Come on, guys," he sighed, in an almost friendly tone, "don't any of you want to do this?"

Ike was busy scribbling down things, but aside from this, everyone had the same, nonchalant expression. Mr Potter sighed and looked down at the floor.

"Well," he said, "I'm sure you'll enjoy the next lesson because I'm going to bring something special in for you."

Johnny just wanted to go back to Elmtree. He'd rather have Gus reciting his listsof different cheeses than stay here a second longer.

But when he tried talking to Mike, all he got was, "Just give it a chance, Johnny. Who knows, you might enjoy yourself."

"It's _boring_ ," Johnny complained, but Mike just folded his arms and lay back against the filing cabinet.

"Johnny, just try. Expand your horizons. Mr Potter is a respectable person and he's giving up his weekends to educate children. At least try to pretend you're interested."

But Johnny didn't really want to.

Mike was in the office later when the phone rang. Holding some files, he looked at it and groaned.

"Gina!" he called, "Gina!" But then he dropped the files onto a desk and answered the phone.

"Oh hey, Mr Milligan," Mr Potter cheerfully spoke on the other end.

Mike sighed. "Is it about Johnny?" he asked.

Mr Potter reassured him, "Oh, no, no. I just wanted to say that a lot of the children seemed disinterested, so I decided to bring in a special machine I made next week. It's not too complicated, I just wanted to inform everyone in advance."

"Oh," Mike was a little taken aback, "OK. Well, err, thank you."

He put the phone down. Just as he did that, he looked up with slight annoyance as Gina entered.

Mr Potter lay back on his chair and looked at his pictures on the wall. All of the treasures he wanted. Then back at his machine. His wonderful machine and the scheme that took ten years in the making.

Now, he was finally going to get his riches.


	2. Chapter 2

Johnny sat on the chair, frowning with irritation. Mr Potter said he had got a new device. One he had made himself, he had said. But Johnny didn't know why Mr Potter was going to show it to them one at a time.

Mr Potter pulled a large screen from behind the desk. It was attached to a huge metal box with a bunch of wires coming out, with metal tubes holding it up. Mr Potter adjusted it and it sat at Johnny's eye level.

"Now Johnny, just concentrate on the picture and tell me if it's clear." Mr Potter explained, as he walked behind the chair.

Johnny's heart sank. He had expected some strange scientific device and now it looked just like an eye test. But he decided to do as Mr Potter told him. Who knew, maybe he'd get be surprised.

That he was.

As he waited for the screen to load, he didn't see Mr Potter get onto his knees and press a button. It was attached to a metal box that had been cleverly disguised with wood panelling to appear part of the chair. Mr Potter put a gas mask on as the room slowly filled with an almost invisible gas.

The first thing Johnny noticed was when his vision became blurry and his head started to loll from side to side. But Mr Potter held a large gloved hand out to the boy's chest, preventing him from falling forward.

Then Mr Potter got to work. He knelt down and looked in the toolbox. He took out the cable ties and the pocket watch and chain. Moving the machine back behind the desk, he then checked the air. All clear.

He took the mask off and then grabbed Johnny's wrists. Fastening one of the cable ties around them, he then did Johnny's ankles with the other. Pulling his handkerchief from his pocket, he tied it tightly around the boy's mouth. Then Mr Potter patted Johnny's cheek softly.

"Hey, Johnny. Wake up." Mr Potter noticed the boy's eyes flicker slightly. Did he even notice Mr Potter in front of him? No matter, REM sleep was usually the best for this technique.

Holding up the watch, he then started to tell him softly, "Just look at the shiny watch, Johnny. Look closer."

Johnny's eyelids just drooped lazily but Mr Potter just encouraged him, using a soothing voice and sometimes talking slowly. He grunted a few times. But as he started to begin to regain proper consciousness, he suddenly became alarmed and started to struggle.

Mr Potter put the watch down and put his hand on Johnny's arm. He shushed him, before saying, "Johnny, Johnny, Johnny. If you try and fight, it could end up much worse. Just relax." As he said this, he held the watch back up again; the gas must still be having an effect on Johnny, he thought, as the boy's eyes were closing again. "There's a good boy," Mr Potter spoke in a soothing tone, "just pay attention – only – to – my – voice."

Fifteen minutes passed as Mr Potter gave his instructions to the boy. Waiting outside, Ike looked at his watch. He needed to get home soon. Mother was doing sausages and mash for tea.

Then the door opened. Ike looked up. Johnny was walking out of the door, dazed. Ike raised an eyebrow.

Then Mr Potter leaned on the doorframe and looked at Ike. "All right, Ike. Shall we begin?"

Tee knew something was wrong from the minute she saw Johnny on the landing. He was dressed in a smart shirt that was tucked into his trousers, with his hair slicked back. He looked ahead, as if focused on what was in front of him.

"Johnny?" she called, to no avail.

She paused. What was going on?

She looked into Johnny's room. His room was now neat and tidy, with everything filed on the shelves and a row of books lined up on the desk. His clothes were ironed and hung up on hangers in the cupboard.

Tee looked over at Johnny, who was sitting at the desk, reading a book. It was on Russian treasures. Why would Johnny read something like that?

"Johnny, what are you doing?" she asked. He turned around. He looked blank, as if dazed and confused.

"I'm doing my work." He replied, in a robotic tone.

Tee stepped back, shaking her head in disbelief. "You can't be. You're being strange."

The corner of Johnny's mouth curled into a smirk. "What's so strange about wanting to be a hardworking, good little boy?" he asked.

A shiver ran down Tee's spine. Without taking her eyes off of him, she walked backwards to the door and then turned to go down the corridor.

Johnny turned back to his book and then carried on reading. He had to do this for Mr Potter. He knew he had to. Some part of him was trapped inside, frozen, desperate to tell Tee what had happened to him. But he could only act this way now.

Until Mr Potter could free him with a codeword.

Mr Potter was now lying back in his chair at his desk at home. He only had a short while until he could go. It was simple asking if the children could come along to Belgium with him in the holidays. The children were so well-behaved that of course their parents would agree.

He had a little plan for everyone.

Mr Potter's life had been terrible. He could barely do anything, go anywhere. His father and brothers were allergic to almost everything. So he spent his time reading up on things.

He was jealous of other children. They had fun. They laughed. All Mr Potter got were tasteless food and nights in front of the TV.

He hated it when older children, teenagers, moaned that their parents didn't understand them. That they got bad grades in school, cared more about their appearance than anything else, were mean and wanted sex too young and swore.

They should be grateful! At least _they_ didn't have awful allergies. He'd also read up on places with bad water or rampant sexism or terrible food. These English children, he told himself time and time again, were ungrateful spoilt brats, who, if they had lived in an earlier time, would be dead if they tried fending for themselves.

He knew not all young people were like that. No, not at all. _He_ hadn't been. His brothers hadn't been. Various child prodigies or those with disabilities or those blind from birth.

But he'd grown to like younger children. Those in primary school or early secondary. Those who did as they were told, polite and well-behaved. Or at least, until he made them.

Now he lay back and smiled. Hypnotized little Potters, that's what the kids were.

It was only a matter of time.

At Elmtree, Johnny was writing down on a notepad, sitting at the laptop. He was writing about security systems. Security systems from the antiques museum in Belgium. Tee looked over at what he was doing.

"Johnny, what's that?" she asked.

He slowly turned his head upward to look straight at her. Or was it through her? "I'm working." Then he turned back, just as slowly and creepily, back at his writing.

A shiver ran down Tee's spine. She didn't know what this was, but she didn't like it. She wanted Johnny back.

But a small idea began forming in her head.

It started when Mr Potter had shown his 'surprise'. It made them all act strange and robotic. So she'd just have to join.

Later, she called up the number (she'd found it in Mike's office when he was filing more lopsided notes) and waited.

A bored voice answered, "Mr Potter."

"Err, Mr Potter, this is Johnny Taylor's sister. Tee." She answered.

Mr Potter sat up in his seat. "What do you want?" he asked, in a concerned voice more than an irritated one.

Tee swallowed. This would be tricky. "Can I join the science club, please?"

Mr Potter felt a sense of relief wash through him. "Well, I always need another young mind, but at the moment I'm pretty full. Sorry."

He just put the receiver down and lay back on his chair. That annoying sister. Who knew she and Johnny were related, they had almost nothing in common.

Well, he wasn't one to refuse an offer. Maybe he'd been too harsh on the girl. He might use this to his advantage. After all, Johnny had woken up during the hypnosis. It probably wasn't as strong as the others. He might snap out of it sooner than the others. And if that happened, he might become dangerous.

His teacher had told him, seventy-two hours and they snapped out. It wasn't safe to hypnotise them again until another seventy-two hours passed. But by then, they had probably trained enough to actually break into the museums, so that would be good enough.

But the Taylor boy, he was something in itself.


	3. Chapter 3

Mr Potter stood by the coach as he saw the children lined up, ready to go on board to Belgium. The boys all wore suits and ties, the girls wore smart dresses with leggings. All held briefcases in their left hands and had their hair neatly brushed and combed.

He smirked as he checked his pocket watch. "All right, children, if we go now we might get there by dinnertime. Chop, chop!"

Tee stood in Mike's office, babbling away. "Yes, they did allow me," she gabbled, "and I need to go now."

"Tee, why didn't you say this?" Gina asked her. Tee shrugged her shoulders and Gina groaned. "Well, I might as well walk you to the bus stop. It's just down the road. Are you packed?"

Tee nodded and Gina rolled her eyes. Sometimes it was impossible working here.

She left Tracy in charge of the kids (a disaster in the making) and walked behind Tee as the ten-and-a-half-year-old ran several feet ahead, the suitcase on wheels clunking behind her.

Mr Potter scowled as she came up. "What do you want?" he hissed through his teeth.

Tee told him, "They think I'm coming anyway, so can you please let me on? I really want to be part of this club."

Mr Potter was a little taken aback, but he smiled a small, nasty smile. This was better than he expected.

Something clicked in Tee's mind. Johnny had had that same smile when he'd been writing down things from the laptop. But Mr Potter simply stretched his arm out to the door, welcoming her on.

Tee looked back towards Gina for a moment, before getting on. She rushed to where Johnny was sitting, in the back row by the window. "Johnny, I'm coming with you," she told him.

He just looked at her, before saying, "That would be reasonable."

This was too spooky for Tee. All the children were too well-behaved, too tidy. Almost as if they were toy soldiers. All identical.

All sat in little rows, looking forward, the same neutral expression. It made Tee feel scared and very small.

Mr Potter told Gina, "Yes, Gina, I'm certain that they'll be fine. And don't worry," he began getting on the steps, before turning, leaning on the railing, "the children are safe with me." His face quickly turned into a large smile, before he turned back and called, "Let's go!"

As he got into his seat, the door shut and drove off. Tee felt as if she were driving to her doom. She shrunk lower in her seat and felt as if she would cry.

Mr Potter opened his sketchbook and flipped through the jobs. They were all here. Every child was ready. All were under his control.

Andy. Bennie. Christopher. Denny. Edward. Frederick. Georgie. Howie. Icarus. Julia. Kate. Lara. And Johnny...

He knew Tee would likely become a spanner in the works. But not unless he used her to his advantage.

And he was determined he would.

When he arrived in Belgium, he asked Tee, as the members of the science club started getting their briefcases off the coach and started walking towards the farmhouse that Mr Potter had rented, if she could just ask him something.

He walked around to the other side of the bus and grabbed her by the arm, pulling her closer towards him.

Tee squealed loudly, kicking and pushing. She called out, "Johnny!" but Mr Potter pushed her up against the side of the coach. He held her up to his eye level and asked her, "Exactly why did you want to come? I knew you asked earlier and I'm guessing that it was because you were suspicious of Johnny, is that right?"

Tee managed to mumble, "Uh-huh." Then she screamed, "Johnny!"

But Mr Potter looked down at the ground, smiling with his teeth showing. He looked back up at her, cocking his head back and frowned again. "Scream all you want, your brother can't hear you."

Tee swallowed deeply and then asked, trembling, "What did you do to Johnny?"

"My word, children today are unintelligent," Mr Potter replied, "I hypnotized him. He's under my control. Don't worry, it'll wear off by tomorrow morning."

She asked, "And me?"

Mr Potter smirked, as he lifted her down to the floor, still grabbing her collar. "But don't worry; I've got other plans for you." He started dragging her over the grassy knolls towards the back of the farmhouse as her vision filled with tears. _What will Mr Potter do to him?_ she wondered as she stumbled, Mr Potter pulling her back up. _Please, don't hurt him._

When the science club had all had their dinner (some cheese-and-tomato Panini baguettes brought on the way there) and went to bed at 9pm, Mr Potter sat in his chair by the window and looked out over the moonlit farmland.

It wasn't so much farmland as a bunch of grassy knolls, small hills and the beginnings of a marsh, but it was isolated enough and close to the towns he wanted to be a satisfactory headquarters. He'd also heard that some unexploded bombs had been found nearby, so it was no wonder nobody lived here now.

When Johnny opened his eyes, he felt as if he'd been picked up after a long sleep. He could remember what he did, but it all seemed as if it had been a dream or a very long time ago.

He looked at his gloomy surroundings. In dim torchlight, he saw the roof was just a gnarled and rotting trapdoor with several pipes sticking through it. The walls were made of stone and it was unbelievably cold.

He saw that Icarus was lying on a small mattress, feeling around and groaning. Johnny asked, "Where is this?"

Icarus pushed some glasses back onto his nose and answered, "It seems to be a prison."

Johnny knew _that_. The rectangle they were trapped in was seven feet long, five feet deep and five feet wide. In short, they were trapped in a fancy stone coffin.

They heard shouting coming from outside. The other members of the Science Club.

Looking up through one of the pipes, Johnny saw Mr Potter standing there, with a torch. "Silence!" he shouted.

Then, as everyone immediately went quiet, Mr Potter explained. "All of you have, over the course of the last two and a half days, been hypnotized. It's my way of making sure you're under control. Now, we are going to rob some museums over your time here."

"As if!" Johnny heard Bennie shout.

Mr Potter frowned. "I think you will find, Bennie, that you have no choice in the matter. Either you do it, or I will hypnotize you to do it." he wasn't really going to do it, he thought, he wouldn't risk damaging them. "Now, I think all of you need to stay down here until the actual break-in."

Kate was sobbing. Andy was growling. Icarus rocked back and forth on the mattress. Then Mr Potter told them, "If you are having trouble working out what you have to do, it'll all come back to you when you see the museum. I gave you the blueprint and you looked up the system. I don't think any of you will try to resist."

Johnny heard Denny shout, "You'll never get away with this!"

Mr Potter just shook his head, still smiling. "You're only children. You won't be able to do anything. I also have some leverage. Let me just call her."

He pulled out a walkie-talkie and pressed a number. "This is Potter, over," he said with a grin.

He held the end of the walkie-talkie down one of the pipes sticking out of Johnny's prison. A chill ran down Johnny's spine as he heard Tee ask, "Johnny? Johnny, is that you? I'm –"

Mr Potter pulled it away from the pipe and then replied, as he turned it off, "I don't think any of you will try anything stupid. Not when Johnny's sister is on the line. Toodle-o!"

He walked off, shutting the barn door behind him as Johnny began to curl up into a ball. Icarus crawled over, asking, "Is that true, Johnny? About your sister, what Mr Potter said?"

Johnny just carried on crying. He answered, his throat hoarse, "I promised I'd look after her."


	4. Chapter 4

The next twenty-three hours were roughly uneventful. It seemed most of the children were sleeping. Icarus just lay on the mattress, a duvet over his chest, trying not to hyperventilate.

Mr Potter had kindly supplied food, water, comics, books and a torch for his prisoners, but Johnny wasn't interested. All he could think about was Tee.

Was this punishment for murdering Aidan, he wondered. He'd killed Aidan and now he was stuck underground, a prisoner, locked up and blackmailed.

He heard the other children talking to themselves, but he could barely hear them, it was too muffled. Johnny wondered how they'd be able to get through this.

He'd asked Icarus if the boy had remembered being under hypnosis, but Icarus said he couldn't properly. It was a fuzzy dream.

While Icarus opened a small container of cereal presumably nine hours later, Johnny lay on his side, pulling two blankets around him.

He closed his eyes, but all he could think of was Mr Potter's wicked laugh and Tee screaming. Then it was the New Forest and Aidan was snarling at him from on top of the cliff. _"I hope you'll never see her again."_

Johnny opened his eyes and saw Icarus had finished his breakfast and was now flipping through a book. He sat up and looked at what Mr Potter had given them. Nothing he would normally read; just some Enid Blyton adventure books and some comics from the eighties. They looked like the sort of thing Toby or Gus would read.

Johnny was too miserable to read. But he knew that it wouldn't help Tee if he didn't keep his strength up and didn't try to relax. But three comics, two books and two meals of cereal or hamburger later, he couldn't shake off the feeling that Tee was in trouble.

She was _his_ little sister. _He_ had promised to take care of her. _He_ had to look after her and now he didn't know where she was or what she was going through, except that Mr Potter had her locked her and was using her to make him break into a museum.

Mr Potter had the vehicle ready. It was a van stolen from the farm owners he rented this place from. Just enough room for thirteen kids, a teacher and a few boxes full of goods.

He had his plan set out. He just needed to make sure the girl wouldn't get out while he was away. Not that she'd have any idea how to get to the nearest town or village, but she might put up a fight.

He opened the door to the guest bedroom and turned the light on. He looked over at the bed by the window. Tee Taylor lay on top, with tape around her hands, ankles and mouth. Her wide eyes looked at Mr Potter in absolute fear.

He just sniggered to himself. "Don't worry about us, kid," he told her as his long, yellow nails tapped the doorframe, "we're only going to be gone, oh, about, three hours. We need to break into a museum this morning. And the one after that. And the one after that. It'll be a blast. Don't wait up."

When the van stopped off at the museum, Mr Potter turned round in his seat to face the thirteen, frightened children sitting in two rows in the back.

"Now," he told them, getting a blueprint out from his briefcase, "we need to break into here. I need a distraction, two kids for a decoy, three kids to get through the security system, two kids to use some explosives, two kids who can use the security system, a driver, a contortionist and someone who knows weapons."

Bennie broke the silence by saying, "But Mr Potter, we don't know how to do any of that. We're not trained."

Mr Potter smiled. "When you look at the blueprint, everything will come back to you."

As Christopher took the blueprint and spread it on the floor of the van, the gears in their head seemed to turn. They all felt as if they had realised the last piece to a gigantic puzzle that had been weighing on their minds.

Johnny could remember doing exercises in his room, some stiff techniques that he would never normally do. He also remembered faxing a copy of the security system to Icarus.

Mr Potter then told them, "Look in your pockets and you'll find everything you need for this job."

They did and there were small gasps as the children looked down at what they had. Andy, Howie and Johnny had two small compact mirrors each and Andy had a set of keys and some talcum powder. Christopher had a set of keys and Edward had a small box with string around it. Bennie and Lara had car keys. Frederick and Icarus had security cards and a piece of paper with a password on.

Mr Potter then told Julie, "You've got a leotard and shoes in your briefcase right here. Georgie, you're driving this puppy when we get out of here. Katie, you and I are the distraction for the guards. Denny, you're the one with weapons. I left them in the front because I didn't want you to find them. Let's go!"

Within three minutes, Johnny, Andy and Howie were around the right side of the building by the car park. As they approached the window, Andy looked back at Johnny with sympathy.

"I'm sorry about your sister," he told him, "I know how much you care for her."

Johnny just breathed out deeply. "Well," he said, determined, "the quicker we rob these places, the quicker she comes back to me."

"And we can go home," Howie pointed out.

Andy then tried unlocking the window. The second key on the ring did the trick. The three of them climbed through and landed on a couch. There was very little light in the room, but they saw that there was nothing blocking their way to the main door.

Andy put his hand out to stop Howie moving forward, before throwing the talcum powder onto the floor. It splattered onto the floor in a messy clump.

Andy frowned in concentration. "I don't recall any monition sensors or anything like that. Mr Potter was right; it _does_ all come back to you."

After they walked across and unlocked the door, they looked around, waiting for Katie and Mr Potter's signal. Then it came from the small window out onto the car park. The lights of two torches flashing brightly for ten seconds.

As the three of them crossed the hall into the main room, they heard the sounds of heavy, running footsteps as the guard exited the building. Then as they entered the main room, Andy wildly threw powder around the room. He squinted his eyes shut and the other two boys put their hands up, but it still went all over their clothes.

Andy smiled awkwardly before they looked in front of them. Weird lasers flung across the room. Howie looked at them, squinting.

"I remember this," he said, "there are three main points that will reflect the majority of them around. Give me a second."

After some thinking, he told them, "OK, Andy, go to the blue vase in the corner and put the mirror down by the floor. Johnny, go to the chair, but watch out for the beam."

The beam Howie was referring to was only two inches off the ground, cutting through the underneath of the chair. Johnny precariously stood on the chair, watching his step. Then they put the mirrors down to make the beams reflect away from their path. There were still a few to go through, though.

Then Andy started shuffling along on his stomach, bending under the beams. Then Howie stretched his legs over two beams. As he finished, he bended to slip underneath another. Johnny stepped onto a footrest, slowly and carefully, without wobbling. Then Andy, having gotten past them, went up to the panel on the wall.

Pressing a few buttons, the beams disappeared. The other two boys ran up as Andy went over to a window and unlocked it. On the other side, Edward was there, holding the small box.

Johnny heard Edward say, "Mr Potter's waiting in the car. He's scaring me; I think Katie's crying."

Johnny felt another pang of anger against Mr Potter, knowing this was what he had likely made Tee go through.

Howie took the box and unwrapped it as Johnny and Andy slowly opened the glass door of the box. Andy lifted out the Faberge Egg and carefully placed it inside the box, as Johnny replaced it and shut the door. Then they walked over to the window and climbed out.

Georgie was at the wheel of the car as the four boys made their way back. he seemed scared, shaking and pulling his fingers through his sandy hair.

Andy asked, as they got in, "What's wrong?"

Georgie swallowed. "Mr Potter made Bennie and Lara break into some other cars. They waited for the guard to come. They were pretty good, letting the guard trip and getting him to run across the car park by setting off cars on different sides. But then Mr Potter leapt out from behind a car and stabbed him in the chest."

Johnny's hairs stood on end and he felt himself trembling. Not just because this definitely showed how terrible Mr Potter could be, but because if he could do this to someone who probably wasn't even going to be a problem to him, what would he do to Tee if Johnny disobeyed?

When they got back to the barn, Mr Potter simply smiled at them all. "Well, I got a historic artefact worth millions and got back before daybreak. Good work, kids! Now, back in the holding cells."

Julia asked, almost in tears from what had happened that morning, as were quite a few of the other children, "Why can't we stay in the house?"

Mr Potter answered, looking up at the cottage and leaning against the stable gate, "I would, except there's one room for me," he held his arm at the elbow, one finger on his outstretched hand pointing slightly upward, his eyes looking toward the ceiling, "and there's a room for my hostage, so I'd say, no."

He pushed himself away from the gate and snapped, "Now, in the cells!"

He was folding his arms, leaning slightly toward the side, not taking his eyes off of the terrified, tired children. Then he groaned. "Oh, come on guys, don't make me do this."

He said the codeword. They all straightened up and then listened as he gave his instruction. "Go –inside – each of your cells - and wait – as I place the boards – on – top."

The children did as they were told, their eyes wide and focused, not really able to take in what was right in front of them. But that was the problem with hypnosis.

When each of them had gone inside and pulled the entrances across, they lay down on their backs, their arms at their sides, as Mr Potter bolted each one shut. Then he shouted out the codeword to free them from the trance.

Only Icarus was able to say anything in the silence that followed. "How many more museums are there, Mr Potter?" he called.

Mr Potter pulled out a notebook from his coat pocket and flipped through until he found the addresses. "Nine more." Then he looked up and snapped the book shut, grinning inanely. "Night, night."

Johnny lay on the mattress as he grabbed the blankets, twisting them and holding his arms around them.

Could this get any worse?


	5. Chapter 5

Mr Potter had the children stealing endlessly over the next five nights. They broke into one museum the next night, but every day after that was two in one night. It was slightly simplistic; Mr Potter had already gone over the museums himself, but he made the kids do most of the dirty work.

Also, some of the stuff he told them to get was expensive. A necklace from eighteenth century France. A two-hundred-year-old vase from China. A very heavy painting on loan from America. He made copies of all of them (Johnny didn't want to ask how long it took Mr Potter or how) so the break-ins would go unnoticed, but this was unbelievable dangerous.

Mr Potter only gave them the items to do so, without so much as thanking them. They never saw daylight; they were up so early in the morning. As a result, their body clocks had changed.

Tee was having just as bad a time as her brother. Whenever Mr Potter was with her, all he did was talk about himself. Or he'd talk about his family's allergies.

"My father was allergic to dairy, soya, wheat, various types of dye, sea salt, fur and feathers," he would say, walking around the room where Tee was taped up on the bed, "one of my brothers had a cat allergy, most types of fruit unless they were cooked, all types of vegetables, pollen and also to types of dyes. Our dye allergy was the most awkward, because it could come from carpets, curtains, clothes, books, paints, basically anything you can imagine with dyes in them. Another brother was allergic to seafood, tree nuts and chocolate. Now, he could eat peanuts but not pine nuts. Those are the sort you have on salads and pizzas. My third brother was allergic to cows, different types of grass, coconuts and some other stuff you've never heard of, that come from petrol or furniture polish."

Tee asked, "Why aren't you allergic to anything?"

He shrugged. "I think I got it from my mother's side. I spent all my time in my room. I found books on hypnosis when I was eight. I've been fascinated with it ever since. I spent fifteen years researching hypnosis and watching problems and go on retreats, but I wanted more. I wanted money. Every single penny had to go on creams and food for my dad and brothers. We couldn't even have _windows_ in our bedrooms, just in case."

Then he sat down on a chair, running a hand through his hair and then looking back at Tee. "Thing is, I decided to take back what's rightfully mine."

Tee argued, "But it was never yours in the first place."

Mr Potter gave a small laugh. "But I wanted them. They don't need to belong to the authorities. Therefore, I can claim them."

Tee knew it was ridiculous to argue with a madman who had hypnotized her brother, dragged her into a guest room before tying her up and imprisoned children in old food storage rooms underneath a barn. So she decided not to say anything in response.

On the last day, Mr Potter had been drinking another scotch in the kitchen as Icarus and Johnny cleaned around him. He'd told them that he wanted the house spotless so that the people he'd rented it from would let him stay again.

He had hypnotized them when they refused, obviously. Soon he'd say the codeword to undo the trance completely, but for now he just wanted them to obey his every single word.

He told Icarus to go and unblock the toilet, while he looked over at Johnny. He asked Johnny, "So, do you act like a good boy most of the time, or was hypnotizing you to do my chores just a waste of time?"

"I killed a boy."

Startled, Mr Potter sat up in his seat and looked at Johnny. His blank face stared ahead, emotionless. Mr Potter wanted to know more. What had he done?

"W-What exactly happened?" Mr Potter spoke in a concerned, curious voice.

Johnny answered. "It was a boy named Aidan. He was in my care home. We were on holiday in the New Forest last August. We were walking together and he insulted me and said things about Tee. He was horrid. Then I got angry and pushed him over the edge of a cliff. I climbed down and tried everything I could, but Aidan had stopped breathing. I hid the body under a bush. His body was found six weeks ago. They think that someone murdered him. They don't suspect me."

Mr Potter licked his lip, looking down at the ground, deep in thought. He wouldn't say this to anyone. On the other hand, it proved Johnny could fight back. But maybe, just maybe, it meant Johnny would do anything to stay with his sister.

Just before he was about to take the children out for the last heist, he went upstairs to the room he was holding Tee. He looked into her eyes, her terrified, wide eyes as she lay on the bed, tape binding her arms, hands and legs and around her mouth.

This had been a usual routine for both of them. Mr Potter would come in, untie her and feed her a Panini or tomato soup, while he talked about basic nonsense to get his mind off his nerves, before tying her up again and throwing the blanket over most of her ("to get some sleep") and locking the door before he would get the other children.

This time however, he leant on the doorframe and smiled, teeth bared like an animal. "I know Johnny _will_ do anything for you," he said, delighting in her confused expression, "and it's – our – little – secret."

He chortled loudly, before turning and slamming the door.

In the prison, Johnny felt that if he would be here any longer, he would possibly go mad. Icarus was reciting practically anything that came into his head. Songs, poems, lines from books, sometimes a teleplay. Johnny could also hear the children from the other cells. Andy was practically screaming Shakespeare plays, Christopher was banging pipes in frustration and one of the girls (he wasn't sure which) kept crying.

Johnny was cold, hungry, tired, fed up and terrified all at the same time. He sometimes saw Icarus studying the pipes and the bolt, wondering if he could somehow get out, but Johnny didn't think so. The door was bolted shut with something and there was little light coming from the pipes. The two of them barely had room to sit up.

Then they heard the barn door sliding and the sounds of Mr Potter's boots walking across the stone floor to them. As he opened the trapdoors, he told them, "Last night tonight. After this, you can all go home."

Johnny demanded, frowning furiously as Mr Potter opened his trapdoor, "I want to see Tee first."

Mr Potter raised an eyebrow. "You do?" he asked, more annoyed than anything else.

Johnny repeated, "I want to see her."

Mr Potter thought about this. On the one hand, he could hypnotize Johnny again. Then again, it wasn't really asking for much. He'd leave the kids in the barn, as they weren't really much of a threat. He was a bit nervous, but he knew that the situation was unlikely to go haywire.

So, grabbing Johnny just above the elbow, he started dragging him out of the dimly lit barn, across the dark field. When they reached the farmhouse, Mr Potter pulled a string which turned the light on.

He hissed to Johnny, "She's fine. But if you keep interfering, she won't be for much longer. Nobody even noticed I stole expensive items. No-one goes to those museums anyway. Don't try and tell anybody. No-one's got any proof, anyway. I'm a trusted member of the community." He began pushing Johnny up the stairs. "Who knows, I might get you all back for another trip together. You've all been so good. I'll make sure you're not underground this time."

Johnny swallowed, silent tears streaming down his cheek. "I just want to see my sister," he breathed.

Mr Potter opened the door and turned the light on with another piece of string. Johnny peered around the dingy, little room. The carpet was a medium grey colour with shabby grey curtains and grey walls. Since it was also one of the attic rooms, there was a slight dip in the walls so that it caved in. The curtains looked moth-eaten and ancient. Tee was lying on her back on an iron bedspread, still in the same clothes she had been wearing when they had arrived a week ago. There was the smell of must and damp lingering in the air. The fact that Johnny noticed Tee had obviously had to wet herself a few times did not help. Then again, Johnny had been reduced to Chinese food cartons.

Mr Potter simply snapped, "You've seen her, now go." But even as he tugged on Johnny, the boy dug his feet into the carpet.

"I want to hug her," he told Mr Potter, "tell her I love her."

Mr Potter grimaced, but he let go of Johnny, walked into the room and ripped the tape off of his captive's mouth. "Five minutes," he snapped, as he walked out of the room and into the bathroom.

Johnny ran up and held his arms around his little sister. "Tee, I'm so sorry." Johnny told her as he held her close.

She sniffed and replied, "It wasn't your fault, Johnny. He's just manipulative. That's a word Gus taught me."

Johnny pulled back and then looked in her eyes. "Tee, try to be brave. It's the last heist today and he's letting us go back to Elmtree tomorrow. It's useless telling anybody; no-one will believe us."

Tee shook her head. "We'll find a way to convince them." She smiled at him as Mr Potter walked back into the room, holding the roll of gaffer tape in his hand. He pushed Johnny away from the bed with his other hand.

"Well, I think time's up. Don't want to be late for the heist, do we?" he asked, his shiny, dark eyes glinting with excitement as he looked straight into Johnny's. Almost as if he was looking into Johnny's soul.

When the heist had been completed (stealing another painting from presumably an almost abandoned museum), Mr Potter told the children as he opened the door to the van, "Well, you've been really good children. You obeyed my every word and I didn't even have to hypnotize you. Maybe we can go around France for the next holiday. There are a few chateaus I want to visit.

" Anyway, I'm glad that we can all go home soon. Now go upstairs and have a shower. I want to make it look as if you've been on holiday. I've also got a few souvenirs from various tourist sites. You can choose which one you want to take home."

That morning, Mr Potter allowed the children to sleep in his room or on the living room sofas. Johnny, Andy, Christopher, Icarus and Katie went in Mr Potter's ridiculously neat room. Andy and Icarus quickly fell asleep under the covers, while Andy tried soothing a sobbing Katie.

"He stabbed people right in front of me," Katie was weeping, "and he kept the knife in his belt." Andy held her close as Katie held her hands over her eyes.

Johnny was looking out of the window over the farmland, in the just-beginning light of day. He never wanted to go on another school trip with Mr Potter if he could help it.

Mr Potter had abducted them, locked them up, hypnotized them and forced them to break numerous laws. But the hypnotizing part was the worst. Johnny didn't know what Mr Potter had made them do under hypnosis.

He had racked his brains to try and remember, but it all seemed like a dream from ages ago, one that he had almost forgotten. He couldn't even _feel_ if it had been anything bad.

But most of all, he hoped that Mr Potter hadn't hurt Tee. If he had, Johnny decided, then he was going to get _severely_ punished.

Johnny next saw Tee when the coach was ready in the mid-afternoon. The children had all slept and Mr Potter had had a shower. Johnny wondered if he ever slept at all.

Mr Potter had brought Tee down from the attic and sat her next to Johnny in the front row. Tee held her arms around him and silently wept onto his t-shirt.

Nobody said a word during the journey back to Newcastle. They were all thinking about how Mr Potter had completely gotten away with it. No-one was going to believe a group of children.

When they got back to Elmtree, Mike was waiting for them at the front door. As they stepped down, he called, "Hey there! How was your holiday?" Johnny just held an arm around Tee's shoulders and silently took her inside.

The two of them were very forlorn for the rest of the week, barely saying a word to anyone else or leave their rooms. Mike and Gina noticed that the two of them seemed to fall asleep during the day and Tee had trouble walking in a straight line, causing her feet to become floppy.

But even though both of them asked the brother and sister if anything was wrong, they just shied away.

As Mr Potter counted the money the artifacts were worth, in his study, with the curtains closed and examining everything with the desk lamp, he wondered to himself.

Finding expensive items was much better than stealing this stuff. Maybe in some sites he'd looked over with some archaeological records he'd stolen from an office that nobody used much any more. Rich archaeological items, ripe for the plucking.

And not only did he have his lovely little Science Club, but if he played his cards right, he had a whole orphanage to do his bidding.


	6. Chapter 6

Mr Potter lay back on his chair as he thought about Johnny.

Poor, little Johnny.

He had a big secret bearing down on him. He had a sister who depended on him. He was in care and might get separated.

And Mr Potter had Johnny under his control. He could do anything he wanted with him.

So maybe, he mused, lying back and a small smile emerging on his face, the other orphans would be as vulnerable.

Yes, a whole group of orphan thieves to help him.

He would do it. He would steal things that were worth hundreds of thousands. He'd make a bunch of orphans – perhaps some of them were older children, those tall enough to do things a child couldn't – break into somewhere and do his bidding.

Oh, how Mr Potter loved having little slaves at his command. He had a need for power. He gave him a warm, glowing feeling mixed with malice. He could do anything to them and _they knew it_.

More importantly, _Johnny_ knew it.

Johnny was on his bed, squeezing his pillow as he laid face-down. He had simply let Mr Potter control him. Control Tee. And Johnny had done nothing to stop it.

 _No_ , he told himself, _he's a hypnotist. He's a manipulator. You're only a twelve-year-old boy. You had no chance._

But he just couldn't stop thinking about how he might have failed Tee. How Mr Potter could have gone back on his word. How any one of them could have slipped up.

While this was going on, Mr Potter was planning for an archaeological dig in Shropshire. But hey, maybe a little visit to Johnny's orphanage would help things go more smoothly.

As Mr Potter walked up the gravel path to the front door, he smiled to himself. He had his watch in his inside pocket, his smoke machine in his van and he was ready to attack.

A young woman answered the door. "Hello, I'm Mr Potter. I'm here to see Mr Milligan. And you are?" he asked, raising an eyebrow in interest.

She frowned at him. "I'm Tracy. Look, I can't let you in if you didn't call ahead."

He held out a long, spindly arm and held the door open. "Oh, calling ahead wouldn't be necessary. I just need to see him _very_ quickly."

"Tracy," Mike started as he walked along the hallway, before he stopped and saw Mr Potter in the doorway, "oh. Mr Potter. Is something the matter?"

Mr Potter just answered, without pausing for breath, "Oh, I'm fine, Mr Milligan. Absolutely fine. I just wanted to know a few things. I'm planning for another trip, this time a little closer, down in Shropshire. I wanted to know if Johnny and Tee would like to come."

Mike kept looking into Mr Potter's shiny eyes. There was something creepy about those eyes. Almost as if Mr Potter were a lion, ready to pounce.

"Well, I'll think about it." Mike mumbled. But Mr Potter waved his hand. "I'd prefer if it were a surprise, Mr Milligan. I also need to sort a few things out first."

As Mr Potter waited in his van, just out of sight of the house, he looked over his papers. All were about the dig he had read about and how they had failed to find Saxon treasure. Never mind, he'd make sure the kids dug for him.

Speaking of them, he needed some back-up. he was going to make a few quick phone calls.


	7. Chapter 7

Mr Potter watched as he saw Mr Milligan leave the grounds. As he went around the corner, Mr Potter paced up to the front door and rang the doorbell again.

He felt in his pocket and then held his arm behind him as Tracy answered the door. She raised an eyebrow. "Mike's just left…" she began, but then Mr Potter grabbed her by the collar and pushed her forward, as he pulled out the knife from behind his back in the other hand.

Tracy's hands quickly rose to her throat, but he pushed her against the wall. "The children are in school, aren't they?" he asked. Tracy nodded, her eyes still fixed on his. He smirked slightly. "Right. Any other care workers or sick kids here?"

She nodded. "Gina's in the office." She gasped. He then pulled her by the collar, like a parent pulling a naughty child by the ear, toward the office.

As he pushed the door open, Gina began saying, "Tracy, I…" then she saw Mr Potter and the knife in his hand. He smiled, nastily.

"I think you should come with me, miss. And tell me when Mr Milligan's coming back. I've got a little surprise for him."

Gina stood up, furious. "You are not – hurting those kids." She hissed, as he chuckled, lolling his head around.

"I'll be the judge of that. Only if they refuse to do what I say." Then he smiled. "Notice how Johnny and Tee have been acting differently since they came back?"

Tracy asked, terrified, " _What_ did you do to them?" but he shrugged.

"Nothing too serious. Physically, I didn't harm a hair on them. Now, upstairs!"

When he'd locked them in the attic, he set around putting his plan into motion. He locked all of the bedrooms and took the keys with him, set up tripwires with invisible string on the stairs and main door and closed all the curtains. Sure, it looked suspicious now, but when Mr Milligan came in to get help, Mr Potter would already have everyone in his grasp.

When Mike came back, driving the minibus full of children, he frowned. The curtains were drawn and all the windows were locked. But never mind, Gina's car was here so the both of them had to be in.

As he entered, he tripped and fell on his face. Liam started laughing.

"Thank you, Liam," Mike groaned sarcastically as he got up, "that was very helpful."

Then he called out, "Tracy? Gina?"

The children all looked at each other. Liam spoke what everyone was thinking. "I don't like this."

Carmen grimaced. "It's creepy."

As soon as everyone had got in, the door slammed shut loudly behind them. The sound made everyone jump and all turned to face the door. Mike pushed past Liam to get to it and tried pulling it inwards. It had been locked from outside.

"This feels like part of the movie where the monster comes out," Sapphire breathed to herself, putting a hand around Harry's shoulder and holding him close.

"Hi," Mr Potter said deeply, from the top of the stairs, where he knelt on a fist.

Mike shouted, coming up to the foot of the steps, "What are _you_ doing here?"

Mr Potter just smiled his nasty, creepy smile. Johnny, heart pounding in his ears, grabbed Tee and turned her around, hugging her tight.

Mr Potter just told them, "You're all mine, you little pieces of garbage! Oh, for those who don't know me; Mr Potter, Johnny's science teacher." His eyes turned left to face Johnny, standing by the piano.

"Hi Johnny," he waved at him, "miss our little trip to Belgium? I know you and the children had so – much – fun."

Mike growled, " _What did you do to them?_ "

Mr Potter looked around, surveying his prize. Sapphire was grasping Harry's hand. Harry looked like he might weep. Gus was holding his hands over his ears and mumbling. Liam and Frank both looked up at him with fury. Elektra's eyes whizzed around the room, trying to figure a route out of here. Carmen and Lilly were confused.

And Johnny was terrified.

Carmen broke the silence. "Where's Gina and Tracy?"

Mr Potter answered, "Attic. They're OK, for now. Just be a good guy, Mr Milligan, and no-one's going to get hurt."

Mike pursued his lips in anger. "You get out of here now! I won't let you do _anything_ to these children, or I swear I will tear you apart."

All the children stood, staring at Mike. They had never seen him like this. Not even when things had looked their worst.

Mr Potter pulled the curtain away from the wall and remarked, "It looks like my back-up has arrived."

He jumped over the rail and onto the sofa, before jumping off and pushing Sapphire out of the way. He ran out of the door, Liam fast on his heels. Mike ran after him, calling out. But then the two of them stopped as they saw what was in the front garden.

Andy, Bennie, Christopher, Denny, Edward, Frederick, Georgie, Howie, Icarus and the girls Julia, Katie and Lara were standing there, in a row. They all looked as if they had suddenly stopped what they were doing. Bennie wore swimming trunks. Christopher's hair was a mess. Frederick didn't have any shoes on. All were looking straight ahead, with small, fierce faces, the wind blowing in their hair. For some reason, Denny had his arm in a cast. Mr Potter chuckled and then stood behind them.

"I think you'll find you have no choice." He said as the rest of the residents came out.

Johnny was shaking his head in fear. Mr Potter would hurt all of them if he could. And he wouldn't be able to protect Tee. Mr Potter could send him into a hypnotic state at any time. He could make Johnny hurt his friends.

Johnny knew he would try to stop Mr Potter, but he wondered if he would actually succeed, a twelve-year-old boy against a grown man who had hypnotized him.

Meanwhile, Gus was examining the row of children. Counting them, he realised that if the worst came to the worst and a fight broke out, this man and the children would be roughly equal at thirteen each.

Although, now he thought about it, there were some benefits on their side. They had three adults (once they got Tracy and Gina down from the attic), whereas the other side only had one. He was sure that both Sapphire and Elektra were pretty good fighters. One of the children had a broken arm and they all looked slightly dozy and not entirely there.

On top of that, he was also fairly certain that Lilly and Carmen were much better fighters than those Lilly and Carmen-sized girls. Gus knew he wasn't a good fighter but he also knew that he'd be able to avoid them by running back inside.

He just hoped it wouldn't be too long, because he had piano practice in fifty-seven minutes.

Mike asked, "Mr Potter, who are these kids?" he was starting to feel more uneasy, and the fact that these children were just staring ahead was not helping.

Mr Potter chuckled, raising his head to look at Mike, before he started to loll it sideways. "Mr Milligan, I have hypnotized them."

"Seriously?" Sapphire asked, her arms folded, "That's stupid."

"Oh really?" Mr Potter asked, smiling. Then he knelt down on one knee, looked towards Julia's face and then licked it roughly, to the disgust and horror or the Elmtree residents. Julia didn't flinch throughout the whole process.

Mr Potter stood up again and told them, "I think that's enough proof, little girl." He walked over to Mike, tilting his head back so as to look down his nose at him. "I'd say that I have the upper hand. I'd say give in now so you don't get beaten in a fight."

Mike scowled, furious, anxious and desperate. "You don't scare me," he replied, his voice a low hiss, "Kids, inside, now!"

Mr Potter instead glanced upward at the sky, at an angle. "Blitzkrieg." He said loudly in a sing-song voice.

"Wh-" Mike began, but then the little hypnotized children ran up to the residents, shrieking at the top of their voices.

Gus ran back inside. Harry just sat down and held his legs under his chin. Bennie was pulling at Elektra's hair and she was tugging him off, without much success. Christopher and Denny aimed at Frank, immediately pinning him to the floor. Edward and Frederick had gone for Liam, Frederick climbing on his back and grabbing at his face.

Julia and Lara had started pulling at Lilly and Carmen's clothes and hair. Carmen was squealing, but that was more about the state of her hair than being attacked. Howie was pummelling Sapphire to the ground and despite her being much taller and more experienced, he was leaning on her chest, growling like a wild animal.

Georgie had lunged into the air at Mike, pulling at his face and clothes. Andy, Icarus and Katie had gone inside after Gus.

Only Tee stood in terror, watching the scene unfold.

"Johnny?" she asked, turning around. He seemed to have completely vanished.

Johnny had run up to the tree and was cowering behind it. He kept a close eye on Tee, knowing that if she was hurt, he would jump in immediately.

But then he felt something brush up against his ear. Then a quick whisper. "Nekuia."

Johnny felt as if he were falling instantly into a deep, warm, longed-for sleep. It was as if he had fallen asleep after a long, tiresome, hard day.

He had to obey Mr Potter. That was all that mattered to him.

Tee was still looking around as her friends were defeated. Elektra was pushed up against the wall. Liam, Frank and Sapphire were held down to the ground. Lilly and Carmen had been dragged inside, Lilly by her collar and Carmen by her hair. Mike was trying to pull Georgie off of him, but Georgie was a tough fighter even without being under hypnosis.

Then she felt her lower arms being pinned to her side.

She did a calculation in her head. All of Mr Potter's children were attacking them or inside the building. And Mr Potter was now standing by the door, arms folded and smiling, as Sapphire was being pulled inside by her hair.

So that only left…

"Good boy, Johnny," Mr Potter chortled, "I knew I could rely on you."

Mike looked away from Georgie for a second. "Johnny?" he asked, in disbelief, "What happened?"

Mr Potter rolled his eyes and looked up. "Mr Milligan, I think you should have worked out by now that I hypnotized Johnny to do my bidding." He answered.

He looked back down at the other children. Edward and Frederick had somehow got a leash that was used by dog-catchers, and had caught Liam's hands in it. He was tugging as Edward pulled him by the collar and Frederick held his ankles. The two manhandled the older boy inside as Mr Potter turned round to look at Mike.

"Mr Milligan, I told you I didn't want to do this the hard way. Now, your children are mine. I already have Johnny and he can do everything I say. Just do what I say and none of them will suffer." He looked at the last of his minions. "Here, catch!" he called as he threw two zip-ties in their direction.

Within a few seconds, Frank and Elektra, hands bound, were dragged along the gravel and inside.

Mr Potter leaned over tiny Harry and picked him up by the waist. Harry didn't struggle; he just stood still with fear. Mr Potter looked over at Mike again. "I think they'll like having a little holiday. A holiday to an archaeology dig. That they'll dig up for me."

Later, Mr Potter was sitting down, smiling. He was leaning on the back of his chair, sitting the wrong way round. He smiled at Gus, who was sitting opposite.

"Now, Gus," he spoke slowly and in as best a comfortable voice as was possible for him, "just look – look at – my – watch. You'll feel – sleepier –"

"Why?" Gus asked, confused.

Mr Potter groaned inside. Then he looked into the boy's eyes. "Just –" he began, "just look at the shiny watch. You'll – start to feel – sleepier – when I swing it –"

"Why would I feel sleepy?" Gus interrupted again, "And why am I tied to a chair?"

Mr Potter stood up and then walked over to the back door. He sighed, standing up straight. Turning back to Gus, he asked, "You play piano now, don't you? Mr Milligan said something about the piano."

Gus answered, automatically, "I have piano practice in nine minutes and twenty seconds."

Mr Potter felt a small tingle of glee wash through him. This kid was good. Pity he couldn't be hypnotized. He'd have been a great resource.

Upstairs, the children were in their rooms, tied to their beds by zip-ties or other pieces of cord that Mr Potter had brought along.

Except for Johnny. He was locked in the basement, along with the other young Science Club members. The trance had been broken, but none of them could escape.

Johnny just didn't know what he could do.

Mr Potter also tried to analyse the situation. Some of the children were a little unwell when he called them to come over. He couldn't have sick, hypnotized children. Also, Christopher and Denny were due to go to Canada soon. Just as well, really.

He only had a few places for these kids, anyway.

And little Johnny was going to help him hold his friends prisoner. Or Mr Potter would hurt Tee.

No, Mr Potter told himself, I won't hurt Tee.

Johnny can do it.


	8. Chapter 8

Crate Training

Mr Potter took the entire science club back to their homes. All they knew was that they'd suddenly woken up in a basement and that Johnny was crying. They knew Mr Potter had hypnotized them again, but it had to do with the trip they were taking next weekend.

Mr Potter had had better success with the other children. He gone up to their bedrooms, let the gas out, then hypnotized them. It had taken a lot of time, but he thought he'd managed. Soon, all but Gus and Tee were hypnotized.

He had got the van sorted out, to go just before dawn the next morning. He would take the kids to the house he was renting in Shropshire. He'd also take the three social workers as well, just because he didn't want to leave them.

Unfortunately, some of his Science Club couldn't come. Christopher and Denny had gone to Canada. Julia and Katie were sick. Or at least, they said they were. Bennie had thrown up in the night.

As he set the van up and stole food from the cupboards, he grinned at the thought of having archaeological finds in his grasp.

When the children sat in the back of the van, all still, staring and hypnotized, Tee shrank inward and held her legs close to her chest. It was like being with lifelike dolls. Or taxidermy exhibits.

Gus was up in the front, staring around at the countryside around him, writing in the notebook. He barely knew what was going on, but he knew that Mr Potter was a bad man. And Mike and Gina and Tracy were missing. He just hoped he'd find out answers soon. He always had to find out answers.

When they arrived at the destination, early on Saturday morning, Gus tilted his head to look at it properly. It was a cottage made from grey bricks and a slate roof. There was some climbing ivy along the wall and a roof over the door. The building stood overlooking most of a nearby valley, so Gus could see for several miles. It would have looked like any other English country home if there hadn't been a barbed wire fence around it.

Gus had already asked a lot of questions about where this place was. Apparently, some Saxon weapons had been uncovered in this valley earlier that year, but due to storms, most of the treasures being found near a cave entrance and quite a lot of artefacts being found, the search had been called off.

Mr Potter then got out and walked to the front door. Looking back at Gus, he asked, "Could you please come this way?"

Gus looked back at the van and asked, "Why? Shouldn't we wait for the others?"

Mr Potter instead told him, "No, time to go inside. They'll come soon."

After he took Gus upstairs to the attic, he went back to the van and opened the back doors. All his little minions stared straight ahead. He looked at the three unconscious adults on the floor of the van and asked, "Children, could you help me carry them inside to the spare rooms? I also need to have a word with Tee."

After they all left, Tee was the last one in the van. She looked up at Mr Potter with tear-stained cheeks. "Please," she begged, "don't make Johnny do this."

He just leaned forward and pulled her up by the arm. "I think you should try and be grateful that you actually go to these sorts of places. Also, be grateful that I haven't hurt you so far."

He took her upstairs to the attic. When they passed the spare rooms, Tee peered inside to try and see Johnny, but Mr Potter tugged on her arm and she had no choice but to walk after him.

In the attic room, Tee saw that Mr Potter had divided it in two, with wire mesh, similar to that from a prison yard, stretched across the middle. On their side, there was a neatly made bed, a cupboard and an old television. On the other side was a neatly made bed, a cupboard, a shelf with some books and a piano.

Gus sat at the piano. He turned around to see them enter.

Tee looked at him, desperate. "Please," she asked him, "help me."

Gus just held his head to one side as Mr Potter leaned forward and lifted up the latch on a door built into the mesh.

"Oh, she's just being a bit irrational," he waved his hand as if it were nothing, "now, could you be a good boy for me and go downstairs? I'd like some wine. I'm thinking of having a celebration. And could you also please get some strong cord? You'll find it in the kitchen drawer by the kettle."

As Gus walked out, Tee looked up into Mr Potter's eyes. She shook her head and stepped backwards a little.

She begged, "Please." But she knew it was useless. He held her shoulder in a tight grip and pushed Tee slowly down into a sitting position on the edge of the bed.

He looked at her, knowing he had full control. He felt great.

She asked again, "Please, just let Johnny go. You can have the artefacts, but let us go."

He shook his head slowly, grinning in glee. "I can't do that, Tee," he replied, as he played with his car keys in his hand, "I can't do that."

When Johnny woke up from his trance, he was sitting in a tiny, stone room. He was on a mattress, with Icarus sitting beside him. He looked around in a slight panic, before he saw light coming from the bottom of the door, where a slot had been placed, about six inches high and ten inches wide. At least they weren't underground this time.

As Johnny lay on his stomach to look through the slot, he noticed that this looked like an old wine cellar. Some other doors were across from him and to his left. Some of the other children were also looking through them.

Andy was looking out of a nearby door, confused and worried. Lilly was also lying down, ahead of Johnny and to the left, nervous. He heard Carmen squealing like crazy and Harry was crying.

Johnny called out, "Who's here? Is everyone OK?"

Soon, after they called out, he worked that the adults weren't here. Neither were Sapphire, Elektra, Frank or Liam. Maybe the rooms were too small for bigger children. Or Gus, for some reason.

Or Tee.

As Johnny heard Andy and Edward try to explain to the Elmtree children what had happened, they kept asking questions or, in Carmen and Lilly's case, shouting. In the stone cellar, this caused Johnny to get a headache.

But he instead curled up into a ball on the mattress. He felt as if he had failed again. Now Mr Potter had everyone who cared for him. Who knew what he was doing to them?

Mr Potter stepped into the living room. He smiled as he looked down at his prisoners. Sapphire, Elektra, Liam and Frank had been shoved inside rather tight-looking cages, on their hands and knees and looking terrified.

Mr Potter had taken the idea from crate-training used for dogs. He didn't like older children. They wanted to be adults; well he'd treat them like adults. These types of children were the worst. The years he'd missed out on, having to be a good boy and stay at home and look after his brothers. If he could hold in teenage angst and put off being like other youths his age, so could any other child, he concluded.

He asked, "Any of you looking forward to going to a dig tomorrow?" he bared his teeth, walking around the room with a nasty smile.

The teenagers glared at him. Elektra eventually told him, "You can't get away with this."

Mr Potter argued, in as calmly a voice as he could muster, "Oh, I can. And I will. It hasn't been anyone's for a thousand years. So the authorities don't need to claim it as theirs. I can take it."

Liam swore loudly. Mr Potter's smile faded and he roughly threw the cage down onto its side, before bellowing at him, "There is no swearing in this household!"

He breathed roughly through his nose, before he said, "You swear again and I'll cut your girlfriend's pretty hair off, little boy."

He then stormed out, slamming the door behind him and locking it.

Mr Potter really had had enough of these lot. Oh well, soon he'd have all the treasure he wanted. Then he could finally sell all of the goods stashed away in his house. Maybe to foreign countries. Or perhaps to some underground dealers. Then he could have the life he'd always wanted.


	9. Chapter 9

The children down in the wine cellar were woken up by bells being rung at half past seven that morning.

Mr Potter came down the steps with a handheld bell in one hand and his keys in the other. "Wakey, wakey!" he called, before setting the bell down and then unlocked Johnny's cell. "Be a good boy and you won't get hurt."

Johnny wanted to beat Mr Potter to the ground and run up the stairs to search for Tee. But he didn't know if Mr Potter would send him into a trance at any time. He just stood and watched as Mr Potter unlocked all the doors.

When they were at the dig, Johnny peered around. High, grassy hills in all directions and endless rocks and heather lay all around. But they were standing at a pit about eight feet deep and cordoned off. All they had were a few axes, bags, brushes, ladders and shovels. Mr Potter had driven them here in his van, then left them here with lunchboxes and an alarm clock.

It was terrible.

The four older children all looked filthy. Even filthier than Johnny and the others. Elektra's hair was an unwashed mess, Sapphire looked like she'd been crying and Liam had boot marks under his shirt. Whenever any of the younger children tried to talk to them, they simply pushed away and walked off.

Soon, everyone had got to work.

Edward, Frederick and Lilly were digging with shovels in the dirt. George and Howie were lifting dirt out with buckets on ropes, fastened to wooden hoists. Icarus was examining a map and some blueprints, sitting cross-legged on the grass.

Andy and Carmen were using pickaxes to pull away some stones. Carmen kept squealing about dirt landing on her and brushing it off her dress and hair. Lara was lifting up rocks and placing them in buckets. Sapphire, Elektra, Liam and Frank were using shovels to create ledges, carrying boxes and plastic holdalls. They seemed to drift around in a daze, hiding their feelings inside.

Johnny and Harry were brushing away dirt with small brushes and pitching tarpaulin. Johnny kept looking over at little Harry, helping him up when he tripped over.

By the end of the day, shortly before the sun set, they'd dug about eight feet in width and another six feet in depth. They'd made three ledges around the large rectangle, each about two feet deep. They hadn't found anything.

Icarus suggested after lunchtime that they needed to dig outwards, rather than downwards. But even so, all they'd managed to do was spend the whole day digging a huge pit. They climbed up the ladders provided, before waiting, exhausted, sweaty and dirty, waiting for Mr Potter to return.

Some of them didn't even have the energy to stand up. They just lay down on the grass. Johnny sat cross-legged as Harry leaned against him, almost fast asleep.

Johnny hoped that Mr Potter wouldn't use them for much longer. He didn't care if Mr Potter would get the money. He didn't care if Mr Potter got away.

He just wanted Tee back.

Mr Potter drove up in the van, trundling along the bumpy road. When he stopped, he came out of the driver's seat and held up a nasty-looking shotgun. Johnny was taken aback by how malicious Mr Potter seemed. Then he realised that Mr Potter didn't want the older children to try and attack.

"Inside, I think," he spoke quickly and calmly, "I can't see anything of value anywhere. Oh well, back in the van."

As they slowly shuffled inside, Mr Potter stood in front of the door when only the older children and Johnny were left. He looked right into the eyes of Liam, who was in front of him.

"Find something tomorrow or Monday, or this pit becomes your grave." He spoke so informatively that it seemed eerie. His dark, shiny eyes turned to Johnny standing nearby and smiled a wicked smile. "Not you, Johnny. Them."

As he stepped out of the way, he looked down at Johnny beside him, telling him, "They need a little bit of encouragement. Plus, I don't like kids like them. They get obsessed with having sex with anyone they find attractive and the girls squeal and they don't work in school. They should be lucky they actually _get_ an education. Or a life. A hundred years ago, the skinny one would have been thrown out in the streets. In China, they kill girls if the parents wanted a boy. Or leave them at their thousands in orphanages. Kids their age all over the world work in fields or factories or are even parents! That's why I prefer to spend my days with younger children. They can be easily persuaded."

He held a hand tight on Johnny's shoulder. The boy felt as if he would fall apart.

When Mr Potter drove them back, he shoved the children back into their cold cells and the older children into the cages. He then went into the living room, settled down onto an armchair and read one of his books on hypnotism.

He strained his ears and heard Gus playing on the piano upstairs. Ah, Gus was such a good little boy. Just like Mr Potter had been. One who planned for their future and didn't mess around. Pity he'd have to let them all go.

When Mr Potter walked upstairs, carrying a tray with some dinner, he relished in the noise the piano made. It sounded so wonderful. It sounded natural. Nothing like the loud, boisterous music other children played.

When he slowly opened the door, he saw that Gus hadn't been bothered to turn around. This didn't concern Mr Potter. Instead, he put the tray down and pulled the blanket back from the bed that Tee lay on. Her wide eyes looked back at him, as he leant over her and untied her hands and pulled down the gag.

She asked, "How much longer are you holding us here?"

He shrugged. "Until they find something. The records all said this place. Your brother is a brave kid, Tee. He will do _anything_ to help you. But things are getting a bit slow. I think that they're tiring. Maybe if I raised the stakes a little –"

"Don't you dare do anything." Tee snapped back at him, crossly. He seemed a bit taken aback by her temper. But he lifted his head, swallowing tightly.

"Very well," he replied, "but if Johnny knew how much danger you were in, maybe he'd want to help a bit more."

"Talking!" Gus shouted, before going back to the piano.

Mr Potter looked again at Tee, his shiny eyes staring into hers.

"I'd be prepared, if I were you, Tee. You might not know when I'll strike." Then he walked out, locking the door behind him.

Tee let the tears roll down her face. All the time Mr Potter had held her hostage, she forced herself not to cry in front of him.

Was he getting some sick pleasure out of tormenting her, she wondered. It didn't matter, she told herself, although she told herself it mattered a _lot_. She needed to find the word to break the trance.

But Mr Potter was too smart to leave it lying around.

Then, her eyes peered towards Gus' notebooks, lying by his bed. Maybe he'd overheard Mr Potter saying it. He had talked to him on the way here. If the answer was anywhere in this house, the most likely place would be in Gus' notebooks.

The door was open, so she just got up from the bed and walked over to get them from Gus' bed. Gus didn't even notice.

She flipped through until she saw Friday's date. As she had expected, some codewords were there.

 _Neukia – This word sends any of the children into a trance-like state. The word comes from the Greek word 'nekyia', which is where the word 'necromancy' comes from. I do not know what 'necromancy' means, but Mr Potter said it fitted. Mr Potter said the word also means a journey to the Greek Underworld._

 _Lethe – This word brings the children out of a trance-like state. Mr Potter said this word comes from the river in Greek mythology. The River Lethe is the river of forgetfulness._

 _Blitzkrieg – This word makes the children attack anyone that Mr Potter is arguing with. This word is German for 'lightning war'._

 _Charon – This word will make any of the children kill anyone that Mr Potter tells them. This word was used for the ferryman of the Greek Underworld._

 _Cerberus – This word will make any of the children protect Mr Potter or whatever he wants them to protect. This word comes from the guard-dog of the Greek Underworld._

Tee didn't get any further because Mr Potter had come back. She jumped when the door opened and he stomped over, furious.

"You stupid girl!" he bellowed, as he grabbed her by the collar and dragged her out. Tee dropped the notebook on the floor in shock as he pulled her out of the room and down the stairs.

"Stop it!" she screamed, struggling and trying to prise his hands off of her collar. "Help! Johnny!" she screamed loudly, as Mr Potter pulled her outside to the van.

The door to the wine cellar, wide open, stood by the main stairs. Tee's screams echoed off the walls as the hairs on the back of Johnny's neck pricked up. He stood up, banging on the door of his cell.

"Tee! Tee!" he shouted, as he heard her shriek loudly.

He heard heavy footsteps pound down the stairs and then Mr Potter knelt down and opened the hatch. Johnny lay down on the other side, desperate to claw Mr Potter's face.

"Find treasure tomorrow," he spoke in a deep, raspy voice, "if you ever want to see Tee again."


	10. Chapter 10

Rescuing Tee

Johnny was furious. Mr Potter had pushed it. Hypnotizing him, locking up children, mistreating older children and forcing everyone to be his slaves all made Mr Potter a psychopath. But taking his little sister and planning on possibly killing her, that was too much.

Johnny had to fight back.

He ran to the garage and found a bicycle. Pulling it out, he put on a helmet and then cycled down the stony road that Mr Potter had taken.

Tee had been pulled into the passenger seat and shoved beneath the window. She was crying, tears streaming down her cheeks, pleading with Mr Potter, "Please, don't hurt me!"

But he gripped the top of her head in one hand, pushing her down, while the other hand was on the steering wheel, riding out of there in the darkness.

Johnny could still see the taillights in front of him. He hoped Mr Potter couldn't see him. He just hoped one of the children would telephone the police in time.

And that Mr Potter wouldn't call out a codeword.

But now, he just hoped he could get to Tee before it was too late.

At the house, Gus was flicking through the notebook. "So, you want the password to stop hypnosis?" he asked Andy.

The older boy nodded.

"But you're not hypnotized." Gus argued.

Andy replied, "I am. But can you find the word to stop it? You were talking to Mr Potter; surely he told you?"

Liam told Gus, "Don't read out any of the words. Just find the one that can stop it."

"Alright," Gus murmured, but he couldn't see the point of this, "I think I found it."

He read it out. "Orpheus."

Suddenly, it felt as if a massive weight had been lifted from Andy. As if awaking from a long, tiring, dizzy dream. He felt light-headed and woozy. But then he looked back at the confused-looking boy.

"Did that work?" Gus asked.

Andy nodded. Then he turned to Liam, who ran off to get the phone.

Johnny was coming up to the van. It was slowing down now, at a crossroads. He leapt off of the bike and pulled at the doors. They flew open and Mr Potter turned round and saw Johnny's furious face.

Before any of them could do anything, a police car had hit the front, on Mr Potter's side. Johnny was flung outside as the van skidded along the road, a massive dent in the front.

"Tee!" he yelled, as he started to run up. Two policemen were coming out of the car as Johnny headed up. One of them grabbed Johnny by the arm.

"Kid, you can't go in." he told him. but Johnny just looked up at him with scared eyes and pleaded, "My sister's there!"

But as he saw Mr Potter being dragged out, in handcuffs, with a cut lip and a nasty scowl, he heard the other one call, "There's a kid in here! Looks okay, though."

Johnny begged again, but as another car arrived, along with an ambulance, Johnny saw some paramedics take Tee out. she looked fine, but was obviously a bit bruised.

Much later, as Johnny waited in a car as he was driven to a station, an officer reassured him, "The police found your friends at the house. Your sister's gone to the hospital, but she's stable. She's going to be fine."

 **Five Years Later...**

Johnny was in the waiting room at the insane asylum in Berkshire.

Mr Potter had been living here, the most famous mental hospital in the UK, for the last five years. The case hadn't gone public. It was hushed up quickly, with the children quickly withdrawn from the science club and with some families moving away.

But now, five years and one month later, he finally felt as if he needed to see Mr Potter.

When he stepped into the meeting room, separated by a screen, Johnny still felt uncomfortable. They were the only ones here, with the white, spotless walls adding to the creepiness.

Mr Potter entered through a door on the other side. He still looked the same, with neat clothes, slicked hair and that unsettling grin.

"Hello, Johnny," he said with a cold voice, still smiling, "it's been a long time. All grown up."

Johnny replied, "Hello, Mr Potter. I'm not a kid any more."

Mr Potter asked, "How old are you now?"

"I turned thirteen the day after we escaped."

"Ah, so you're eighteen now?" Mr Potter sat straight up in his chair. "Oh, Johnny. I've missed you."

Then he flicked his eyes toward the door. "I've got something to say. I've keep it in for a long time, but I think you should hear it, anyway."

Johnny answered, "What could you say that I would be interested in?"

"Aidan English."

The two words sent a chill down Johnny's spine. His face slowly turned into a picture of horror, worry and fury as Mr Potter carried on.

"You were cleaning the living room in Belgium, under my instruction. I asked if you were a good boy. Apparently, you're just as bad as I am."

Johnny shook his head, furiously. "I'm nothing like you."

But even as he stood up and backed towards the door, Mr Potter folded his arms and looked to the side and upward toward to the ceiling.

"You are, Johnny. You did something horrible." He sniggered. "Don't bother running, you can't escape what you did."

Then he asked, with actual curiosity, "Does Tee know?"

Johnny nodded. "Yeah."

Mr Potter smiled a small smile. "So, we're both bad. Don't worry. Johnny." He started to stand up now on the other side of the glass, as Johnny came up again, each of them looking into the other's eyes. "Because you're safe. After all, who would believe a madman?"

He let out a cackle. Then another, louder cackle. Then it started echoing around the room. Two men in uniform came in on his side and started taking him out.

But all the time, he was looking right at Johnny and laughing inanely.

 **A/N: I apologize for the late submission as I was too busy to write. I hope you enjoyed the story.**


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